Proposed Agenda

The Proposed Agenda can be found in document WT/GC/W/658 and contains the following items:

1. Accession of Vanuatu — Request by Vanuatu to Re-open the Protocol of Accession

Under this Agenda item, the General Council will consider the request by the Government of Vanuatu to re-open the Protocol of Accession for acceptance (WT/GC/146) and will be invited to adopt the draft Decision in WT/GC/W/657.

2. Report by the Chairman of the Trade Negotiations Committee

This is a standing Item on the Agenda. The Director-General will report, in his capacity as Chairman of the TNC, on activities in this area since his last report in May 2012.

3. Work Programme on Small Economies — Report by the Chairman of the Dedicated Session of the Committee on Trade and Development

Under this standing Item, the Chairman of the Dedicated Session of the CTD will report on the progress of work in the Work Programme on Small Economies.

4. Accession of Least-developed Countries

a) Recommendations by the Sub-Committee on LDCs to further strengthen, streamline and operationalize the 2002 LDC accession Guidelines

In line with the Decision on Accession of LDCs (WT/L/846) adopted at the Eighth Ministerial Conference (MC8), the General Council will consider a set of recommendations in the form of a draft Decision submitted by the Sub-Committee on LDCs and contained in WT/COMTD/LDC/21.

b) Accession of Lao PDR and Yemen — Communication from Haiti on behalf of the LDC Group

This Item is included on the Council’s Agenda at the request of Haiti, on behalf of the LDC Group (WT/GC/145).

5. Work Programme on Electronic Commerce — Review of Progress

a) Report by the Deputy Director-General

In line with the Ministerial Decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce (WT/L/843) adopted at MC8, the General Council is to hold periodic reviews of the progress on the Work Programme. Deputy Director-General, Harsha Singh, who has been dealing with the Work Programme on behalf of the General Council Chair and her predecessors, will report on progress in this area.

b) Reports by Chairmen of Subsidiary Bodies to the General Council (S/C/38 and G/C/49)

In keeping with the MC8 Decision on the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce (WT/L/843), the General Council will receive reports by the Chairs of the Council for Trade in Services, the Council for Trade in Goods and the Committee on Trade and Development.

6. Waivers under Article IX of the WTO Agreement

a) Philippines — Request for a Waiver relating to Special Treatment for Rice of the Philippines (G/C/W/665) — Statement by the Chairman of the Council for Trade in Goods

Pursuant to Article IX:3 of the Marrakesh Agreement, the Chairman of the Goods Council will report on that Council’s consideration of this matter.

b) Review of Waivers pursuant to Article IX:4 of the WTO Agreement

In accordance with paragraph 4 of Article IX of the WTO Agreement, “any waiver granted for a period of more than one year shall be reviewed by the Ministerial Conference not later than one year after it is granted, and thereafter annually until the waiver terminates.”

There are seven waivers before the General Council for review (for the full list, see WT/GC/W/658).

7. Ninth Session of the Ministerial Conference — Date and Venue

The General Council is expected to take a decision regarding the date and venue of the Ninth Ministerial Conference.

8. Guidelines for the Appointment of Officers to WTO Bodies — Statement by the Chair

The Chair of the General Council will make a statement on the consultations she undertook to review the Guidelines adopted by the General Council in December 2002 (WT/L/510).

9. Improving the Guidelines for Granting Intergovernmental Organizations Permanent Observer Status in the WTO — Statement by the Chair

The General Council Chair will provide an update on her consultations on this matter.

10. Measures to Streamline the Production of Documents and the Conduct of Meetings — Statement by the Director-General

The Director-General will update the General Council on the latest developments in this area.

11. Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration — Report on meeting of May 2012

The Chairman of the Budget Committee will introduce the Committee’s report on its meeting in May (WT/BFA/130), and seek the Council’s approval of the specific recommendations contained therein.